A butterfly changes everything

The political storm in the wake of Katrina may well change America in profound ways.The hurricane is widely credited for nudging a beleaguered president to make a safe choice for chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. So the fluttering of the butterfly way out wherever that eventually led to Katrina also set the course of our judicial system for generations to come. Assuming John Roberts is confirmed, of course.The U.S. military effort in Iraq and Afghanistan could wane as America endures the consequences of forces already stretched. Certainly it’s clear that our “homeland security” has had a big blind spot. This natural disaster has proven far more deadly than 9/11. But our emergency response system does not appear to have improved a whit since then. Think this glaring exposure of our vulnerability won’t change this country’s political focus? Maybe for the better. Let’s hope.If President Bush’s “reform” of Social Security was on the ropes before, it’s pretty much dead now, with that political capital of his now blown away. The reform won’t be missed. He’ll have to focus on necessities, such as curbing the GOP-led Congress’ all too free spending. How did The Wall Street Journal put it? “Democrats will spend the next year asserting that at least they’d spend tax dollars on levees in New Orleans instead of bridges in Alaska to nowhere.”They have a point. Vail, Colorado